Nature

Isn’t it amazing to walk outdoors and feel the sun shine upon your skin or inhale some fragrant aroma from a blossoming plant or bush that is nearby?  We’ve been blessed to live on Earth and enjoy so many of the beautiful creations that surround us.  Whether it’s the majestic mountains of the Rockies to the Appalachians that loom high above us or the colorful coastlines of the Atlantic to the Pacific to the gorgeous array of flowers that adorn your yard to someone’s yard across the country, we are beyond blessed and surrounded by nature. 

Sometimes after sitting at my desk all day long being surrounded by man-made products like the computer screens that I’m staring at now, it is nice to take a break, go outside and take a walk down the street.  Sure, you’ll still see plenty of man-made items (of which there is nothing wrong with), but you’ll likely encounter some natural phenomenon while upon your stroll.  I try to take a break a couple times during my hectic work day to take a short stroll down the road that our office is situated on.  Usually I’ll encounter George and Martha the Canadian Geese that usually are perched along the side of the road hissing with delight as we walk past them, or occasionally, I’ll glance up at the clouds billowing in the sky and it just allows a few moments for my mind to be relaxed and be taken away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday monotony.

The next time you are outside or on a trip, I encourage you to take a few moments to capture your surroundings and enjoy the sights that we have been blessed with.  Below here, I’ll include a few photos of varying nature sights that have always amazed me and provided a sense of peace and comfort to me. 

The rolling surf of the Atlantic Ocean
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Sunrise at Home
Raleigh, North Carolina

Fall foliage along the Pigeon River with the Great Smoky Mountains in the distance
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

A peaceful calm along the water
Bath, North Carolina

A Pacific Northwest Sunset
Seattle, Washington

The infamous Haystack Rock within the Pacific Ocean
Cannon Beach, Oregon

Pelly up on his perch
Kure Beach, North Carolina

A true haven in the woods
Babcock State Park, West Virginia

A Smoky Mountain sunset
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

A mystical sunset along the river
Mystic, Connecticut

A true 'natural bridge'
Natural Bridge, Virginia

Montreal

As many of you have heard me incessantly babble over my love for Montreal, I won’t bore you with another blog entry for why I love this immaculate city.  Instead, I’m going to post a few photos from my trip to the lovely city from July of 2015, and describe a little bit about each photo and why I was enthralled by it so much.

But, I must say that if you do want to feel like you’ve been to a “foreign” city that has a bit of the European flavor mixed with modern culture and not have to leave North America, I would advise you to drive, fly or take the train across the border and visit Montreal.  While all of the street signs and marquees are likely in French, fortunately, since it is a bilingual city, they’ll welcome you with a Bonjour, Hello, to accommodate your English.  But, be sure to take a stroll through the Old Port area and you’ll get an immediate rush making you feel as if you’ve been transported back to the 1600s or some era long, long ago.

Donning the skyline along the St. Lawrence River is the Bonsecours Market.  Even on a relatively cloudy day, the dome could still be seen shining in the sky.  The actual market was not what I thought it was going to be as it was filled with an array of restaurants and shops -- not an actual market with various foods and such on sale.  But nonetheless, it was still a very unique and historic place. 

One of my most favorite pictures that I have ever taken, and I am not really sure why.  But this picture of the French street signs that indicate which way one should go to visit some of the most prominent locations in Montreal with the gorgeous City Hall Building looming from the background is just so categorical of the historic region of Old Montreal. The pop of red in the signs illuminating the dark grey stone buildings was a very eye-catching sight. I could have literally stood in this spot for a good while just taking in the sights and sounds of Montreal.

The Notre Dame Basilica was one of the most intriguing places that I have ever been.  The exterior possesses the typical gothic style that one often thinks of when visiting older churches, but the interior (seen in a few photos below) is absolutely breathtaking.  We enjoyed sitting on the steps of the Basilica for awhile listening to the music that was being played across from Notre Dame in the Place d'Armes.  What a serene location to take a respite while on vacation!

Only in Montreal can you pull up a seat on a banana!  We enjoyed a miniature break on the banana seat outside of the Mont Royal Metro Station prior to enjoying breakfast at Viateur Bagels (yummy!)

After enjoying a delicious breakfast at Viateur near Mont Royal, we took the trek over to the Jean-Talon Market, and it was heavenly!  Jean-Talon has a variety of fruits, vegetables, cheeses and so many other options, even some horse meat (but please don't remind me of that!)  We enjoyed sampling a variety of all that they offered, but it is definitely a worthwhile stop!

The Parc Jean-Drapeau is one of the most peaceful and scenic places that I have been in a long time.  In some ways, it reminds me a little of Central Park, but in others, it is a world all to its own.  It rests upon an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence and contains a variety of gardens and other sculptures throughout the grounds.  But as you walk the trails, you will come upon one of the most scenic views of the city of Montreal (post to come).  Definitely take time to walk and stroll throughout Parc Jean-Drapeau.

While Parc Jean-Drapeau has a variety of trails and gardens, it also is home to the Biosphere, which I call the Montreal Jungle Gym.  While we did not tour the actual Biopshere facility, we were able to go inside of it to get an unique view.

While this isn't my best skyline shot of Montreal, it is nonetheless is one of my favorite places to pull up a seat and stare across the St. Lawrence at the busy city across from you.  Parc Jean-Drapeau has no vehicles, it is pedestrian or bicycles only, so it provides a quiet serene from the mad rush of the city just across from you.  I could sit there for hours and listen to the sounds of the river, park and city.  I also think this would be one of the best spots to view the fireworks celebrations - maybe I'll give that a shot sometime!

The interior of the Notre Dame Basilica is filled with a variety of colors which only escalate the sheer beauty of such a sacred place.  Walking in to the sanctuary, a youth choir was singing and just hearing how the musical tones resonated inside this sacred place brought such a peace and calm to the atmosphere.  It would be rather amazing to attend some sort of choral concert here.

And, then there is Rue Saint-Paul.  Should you find yourself ever in Montreal, I highly encourage you to take a stroll down Rue Saint-Paul.  It is mainly filled with tourist shops, but the history and architecture are so splendid.  If shopping isn't your thing, there are plenty of restaurants there, as well, or just take a seat and enjoy people-watching. 

Lighthouses

Have you ever been strolling along the shoreline of one of your favorite beaches or driving down a coastal highway and catch glimpse of a large object looming high above the shore peering down on those below?  Maybe you have and maybe you haven’t.  But if you have happened to catch glimpse of it, you’re likely looking at a majestic lighthouse. 

Lighthouses comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, patterns and even locations.  Mostly, you will find them adorning a coastline or leading in to a port; however, there are some that align larger rivers that feed in to sounds, bays or even the ocean.  Nonetheless, no matter the size, design or location, the lighthouses always serve one vital purpose – they are beacons in the night.

For years, lighthouses have lit up the night sky along our coastlines guiding and aiding ships in their navigation.  Sometimes, lighthouses have aided in lost and wandering ships providing a rescue or a warning that land was ahead and to be alert.  Other times, lighthouses are have served as a reminder to the ship captains of which route they need to take to head in to dock or continue on their journey.  Nowadays, with the advancements in technology, lighthouses are not utilized as much as they used to be, which in some ways is rather sad.  You still see them adorning the coastlines, but now are mainly tourist attractions rather than navigational aids. 

I have been fortunate to see a variety of lighthouses scattered along the Eastern United States coastline.  Each one is unique in its own right and holds special meaning to me.  Each time I stand and peer upwards at the gigantic beacon, I am reminded not only of the importance of the actual lighthouse and how it has served as a beacon for many a ship, but it also makes me realize that our own personal lives can serve as a lighthouse or a beacon for someone else.  We may not have people stand and peer at us, but nonetheless, we have the capability to aid and guide many a soul that we encounter along our path.  It may not be a physical or direct contact, but it could be an impression that is left behind by something we may have done.  Either way, it should make us more conscience of what we do, as we should all strive to want to be a lighthouse to someone else and leave a favored impression upon them.

This summer, while you are out and about exploring, take a trek to your coastline and see if you can spot and lighthouse or two.  If you have time, give it a tour and even climb to the top.  But take a moment to think of the history behind these powerful beacons and remember that you too have the power to be a beacon in someone else’s night, as well.  Help light up the darkness in someone else’s life, and help light up the world!